He hung up. I put the phone away. I told myself it was a test I had just passed. The ache in my chest did not agree.
Ericnoticed the way I tucked the phone away. He didn’t ask questions and I didn’t offer. That felt familiar for both of us. Back at the curb, thealley lightbehindPetals and Pinesflickered. It had always been unreliable, but the sight of it still raised the hair on my arms.
“Did Sandy get the deadbolt on her back door fixed?” he asked. His voice was steady and careful, like he was trying not to step on a bruise.
“I don’t know, I’ll ask her,” I assured, but I knew what he was insinuating. Somehow danger was following me again. As hard as I tried to escape it, my family always tried to draw me in. In the eight years I’d been gone that hadn’t changed.
“Make sure it gets fixed soon,” he said. He started to say more, then swallowed it. I knew the sentence he had not said:I will fix it myself.We were not those people anymore.
“I know, I remember,” I said.
“I’m heading toMaple Valleyfor deliveries,” he shifted awkwardly.
“Enjoy your morning,” I replied. It came out more formal than I intended.
“You too,” he smiled, and crossed the street without looking back.
I watched him go and hated how we sounded like strangers, who wished they weren’t, sharing a sidewalk. I told myself time would smooth things out. Then I remembered time had not fixed anything else, so why would things be different with Eric?
The rest of the morning stayed busy. I wrote a card for a promotion that needed to sound proud without sounding like a speech. I made a small apology bouquet. At noon,Noahstepped into the shop with his binder and a clear agenda.
“I’m here to confirm thefestival routeand the times our team will be on your block,” he said. “We want to avoid crowding you during deliveries. Would you prefer our checks at 10:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.?”
“2:00 p.m.,”Sandyreplied. “We get morning suppliers.”
“Two it is,” he said, marking it down. “Thanks for the time.” He smiled at Sandy and then looked my way. His eyes rolling over me in a way that said he was noticing me as a woman. He was a good-looking man, but I felt nothing. I never did. I’m pretty sure it’s because my short affair with Eric ruined me for every other man.
At one, our bell chimed.Nicoleaned in the doorway with that same grin he had used at sixteen when he wanted something. My stomach dipped. I reminded myself I was not that girl anymore.
“Harmony,” he said. “You look good. Shop suits you. Welcome home.”
“I’m working,” I returned curtly as my blood ran cold. “What do you need?”
“Just came to say welcome back,” he said. “Your dad asked about you.”
“From jail?” I asked, and Nico’s eyes darkened.
“He has phone rights,” he explained. “And lawyer rights,” he added. I didn’t know what that meant, other than I knew my father was facing a slew of charges and was standing trial.
“My father only asks about control,” I reminded. “We both know the difference.”
His grin faded half an inch. “You still think you’re better than us?” I hated that question. Nico and my brother always liked to throw that comment in my face.
“I have a job to do,” I deadpanned. “And I think you should let me do it.”
He tried to look over my shoulder toward the bakery window, like he was checking who might be watching. I stepped forward so the door gently bumped his shoulder. “Goodbye, Nico.”
He lifted both hands. “It’s a small town. We’ll be seeing each other.”
“Not if I see you first,”Sandysaid from the counter without looking up. He laughed like it was a joke and left.
I exhaled. My hands shook a little. I told myself it was leftover adrenaline from the morning rush. The truth was simpler: I had believed that eight years away would be enough to change everything about this place, including me. It had not. I was still me. The town was still the town. The difference had to come from what I did now.
Sandypushed a small vase toward me. “You okay?”
“I’m still standing. That counts.”
“It does,” she agreed. “Also, you have a customer who needs a corsage that looks like he tried.”
